ABSTRACT
August 2006 saw another round of chaos at British airports. Following tip-offs of alleged bomb plots to attack transatlantic airliners, the government introduced new restrictions on hand-luggage and other security measures with immediate effect. Thousands of travellers were rendered temporally immobile, as long cues formed, flights were missed, and holidays were ruined.As the crisis deepened, airline executives started to question the handling of the affair. At one point, Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of the low-cost carrier, Ryanair, threatened to sue the British government over an alleged loss of earnings (BBC 2006a).
